The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-26
JOHN H. BIGUS HANGED,
Lynch Law at Frederick Mrs.
Yeakie's AsSailant Strung
Up by Il Mob.
One Hundred Masked Men i;reak inIo the
JaIi-The Prisoner Dragged Ont with
Rope Around His -Prnt"~tinS iiIs
Innocence 10 the Last Moment.

FREDERICK, Mp, Nov. 93.-Jrhn II.
Bigus. the coiored man who committed \
b!utat assault GU Mrs. leakle on Friday
night last, was taken frutn the jail this
morning by mob OF 100 men, nearly al
OF whom were masked, and banged 20 a
tree at Jefferson Heights, on the Ie!lcr
son road, not "a quaIt,r ui mile ir"H
the ai:.
For some hours tonight suspicious
looking crowd of men could De seeu on
the streets ut various places. At Il. 10
o'clock the crowd gathered at the jail
ana made emphatic demand on Sheriff
Derr for tue keys Of the building. The
demand was refused. thoIeupon the
leader gave orders to break down the
door, which was done. and an entrance
effected to the corridor when the lock on
the door to the cell OF Bigus was quickly
struck off Search was made tor the
prisoner, and as soon as he was fourd a
rope " IS put around Ills neck and he was
CARRIED down TO the basement and out o!
die jan 10 the garden in the rear 0! the
BUILDING.
Bisus cried ont that he WAS inu"cent,
but lie was Or,iere, to- come on and with
the rope tied abound his neck was led to
the tree IN front of the residence of Mr..
George ii. Rider, on the above named
height, and asked to confess. He replied
that he would do 50. When they arrived
at the Tire g he asked that the rope be
loosoucd t. allow him to pray. This was
dOre, aud Bigus again protesting his IN
nocence. sad that Joe Hall, the man who
was first arrested, WAS the guilty man,
aud that he stood by and saw him do it.
~ H.. Ia,
claimed, "Iou are a liar you black --
---, and you have got 20 die.
The rGpe was then thrown over limb
and .he negro was qnicIiy suspended
into the air Three shots were fred into
his body AID the crowd disparse. appar-
emily well satisfied with their work. Be-
fore Bigus was pulled up mis- hands be
came united and he fought fearfully un-
til he was again tied.
Tn men in the crowd were from va
rious parts OF the county. as we'll as
from this city. An effort WAS made by
the jail authorities TO give general
alarm BY ringing the jail bell, but they
were at once CHECKED by . number of men
| with reviewers.
| At 30 o'clock the body Of Bigus was
| still hanging from the tree.
The facts of the assault, for which
Bigus was lynched, are as follows: Mrs.
Mary L. Ieskle, widow, aged 80 Jears,
while passing up Market street, i'll that
city, about 10 O'Clock Friday evening
was knocked down into the gutter by al
| unknown negro man and terribly beaten
Her assailaut, after forcing her to The
cobbles placed bis knee upon her bleas'
one hand upon her forehead and the otheI
upon her clothing, and then threatened
to kill her il she did not cease screaming
He was frightened away by heighonr
who ran to his victims assistance. Waa
his object vas is not known, as there wa
10 attempt made at robbery, and th
theory OF intended 10 outrage is dissi
pated by the fact that the assault Wa
committed within 80 feet of "a street gas
lamp. Mrs. Ieakie is large woman
weighing $50 pounds, and very comely
She was roughly treated by the negro
her nose being broken, mouth crushed
in, checks lacerated, and both eyes in
iured, one of them being knocked out O
its normal position, but il is not know
il the SIGHT is permanently destroyed.
Mr.. Waters states that he saw the tv
struggling in the street, ahd. approaching
asked the negro what was the matter
The negro replied that it was nothing
that he was only trying to quiet tina
crazy woman. Mr.. Walters theu walke'
out to the street to see who the woman
was, and, upon recognizing Mrs. 1eakle
turned upon the negro, but the latte
fled up the street.
On Saturday the day following the as
saGiJ several arrests we're made, an
BiguS after hearing before a magis:rat
and protesting his innocence was take
before Mrs. Ieakle. Almost as soon a
he entered the room Mrs Yeakle ex
claimed that before God and man" sh
declared him to be the man. When aske
if she was perfectly sure she replied: -
am positive that that is the identical ras
cal, :" and pointing her fuger at him SD
continued, AID you know you are
I5igus covered before her and did not an
s~ar a word. He was then committed t
Ill for the action Of the grand jury, unit
ta<e:. from it by force and lynchcd.